Youngstown ponders cost to raze vacant funeral home building on the North Side

YOUNGSTOWN — It’s been 35 years since the Linton Funeral Home closed its business on Arlington Street.

Since then, the 5,200-square-foot building on the North Side has fallen on hard times.

The 94-year-old building is in bad structural shape ­— the front porch is caved in, for example — and neighbors say it’s become a haven in this North Side community for illegal activities.

And it needs to be demolished now, neighbors say.

“It’s in a state of disrepair, it’s dangerous and it’s an eyesore,” said Byron Armour, a North Side resident who wants the former funeral home building to come down. “It’s falling apart. I’m concerned about kids playing there, particularly because it’s a ripe location for drugs and prostitution.”

The Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhood, ACTION, is having a community meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 421 Covington St., very close to the funeral home property.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams recently met with ACTION officials and the financially struggling city will get a cost estimate on the demolition of the building. The decision to demolish the building “will be primarily driven by the cost,” he said.

For the complete story, read Tuesday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com